Hydrodynamic machine, in particular hydrodynamic converter

Abstract

A hydrodynamic machine has a working chamber that may be filled with a working medium and in which a bladed pump impeller and a bladed turbine impeller are arranged to hydrodynamically transmit torque and/or drive power from the pump impeller to the turbine impeller. A working medium inlet and a working medium outlet are provided for inputting and discharging the working medium in/out of the working chamber. A control valve is furnished in the working medium inlet or in a bypass. The control valve changes the working medium quantity flowing into the working chamber. The control valve is connected to the working medium inlet and/or the working medium outlet and actuated such that the flow cross-section of the control valve is variably adjusted as a function of the working medium pressure in the working medium inlet and as a function of the working medium pressure in the working medium outlet.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A hydrodynamic machine, comprising:
 at least one bladed pump impeller;   at least one bladed turbine impeller;   a working chamber to be filled with a working medium and in which said at least one bladed pump impeller and said at least one bladed turbine impeller are disposed in order to hydrodynamically transmit torque and/or drive power from said at least one bladed pump impeller to said at least one bladed turbine impeller;   a working medium inlet for supplying the working medium into said working chamber;   a working medium outlet for discharging the working medium out of said working chamber;   a bypass for the working medium that branches off from said working medium inlet;   a control valve disposed in said working medium inlet or in said bypass, said control valve used to change a working medium quantity flowing into said working chamber by adjusting a flow cross-section for the working medium flowing through said control valve; and   said control valve is connected to said working medium inlet and/or said working medium outlet and actuated such that the flow cross-section of said control valve is variably adjusted in dependence on a working medium pressure in said working medium inlet and a working medium pressure in said working medium outlet.   
     
     
         15 . The hydrodynamic machine according to  claim 14 , wherein said control valve has a valve body that is preloaded by means of a preload element and cooperates with a valve seat to limit and adjust the flow cross-section, wherein a preload force of said preload element may be varied. 
     
     
         16 . The hydrodynamic machine according to  claim 14 , wherein said control valve is disposed in said bypass and has a valve body that is preloaded by means of a preload element and cooperates with a valve seat to limit and adjust the flow cross-section, wherein said preload element acts on said valve body in a closing direction of said control valve, and said valve body is subjected to a force contrary to a preload force of said preload element in dependence on the working medium pressure in said working medium inlet and said working medium outlet. 
     
     
         17 . The hydrodynamic machine according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 said valve body has an active area being a common active area or a plurality of active areas; and   said control valve has a first working medium connection, a second working medium connection and a working medium outlet, wherein said first working medium connection is connected to said working medium inlet in a working medium-conducting manner and said second working medium connection is connected to said working medium outlet in a working medium-conducting manner, said first working medium connection is connected to said working medium outlet in a working medium-conducting manner via the flow cross-section, and said first working medium connection and said second working medium connection are respectively connected in a working medium-conducting manner to said active area on said valve body in order to pressurize said valve body against the preload force of said preload element.   
     
     
         18 . The hydrodynamic machine according to  claim 16 , wherein said control valve is a piston spool valve. 
     
     
         19 . The hydrodynamic machine according to  claim 16 , wherein said preload element is a compression spring. 
     
     
         20 . The hydrodynamic machine according to  claim 19 , wherein said compression spring acts on a first side of said valve body configured as a piston and said common active area or said active areas is/are furnished on a side of said valve body opposite thereto. 
     
     
         21 . The hydrodynamic machine according  claim 17 , wherein said control valve has a throttle orifice disposed in said working medium outlet. 
     
     
         22 . The hydrodynamic machine according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein said hydrodynamic machine is a hydrodynamic converter; and   further comprising at least one bladed guide wheel disposed in said working chamber, in addition to said at least one bladed pump impeller and said at least one bladed turbine impeller.   
     
     
         23 . The hydrodynamic machine according to  claim 22 , wherein said hydrodynamic converter is configured as an actuating converter, having an actuating member with which a torque ratio of the torque applied to said at least one bladed pump impeller and said at least one bladed turbine impeller may be varied, said actuating member being formed by blades of said at least one bladed pump impeller and/or of said bladed guide wheel which are adjustable relative to a flow of the working medium in said working chamber. 
     
     
         24 . The hydrodynamic machine according to  claim 15 , wherein the preload force of said preload element may be varied manually. 
     
     
         25 . A drive train, comprising:
 a hydrodynamic machine according to  claim 14 ;   a working medium supply having a working medium pump, said working medium pump connected to said working medium inlet with a pressure side in a working medium-conducting manner in order to supply said hydrodynamic machine with a pressurized working medium; and   a working medium sump from which said working medium pump is connected at least indirectly to a suction side, said bypass with said control valve opening directly or indirectly into said working medium sump.   
     
     
         26 . The drive train according to  claim 25 ,
 wherein said hydrodynamic machine is furnished in a hydrodynamic power branch to which a purely mechanical power branch is connected in parallel in a direction of a drive power flow;   further comprising an output shaft; and   further comprising a superposition gear, in a form of a planetary gear having a ring gear, a sun gear and a planet carrier with a plurality of planets, that superimposes a drive power transmitted with the hydrodynamic power branch and the purely mechanical power branch and feeds power to said output shaft.   
     
     
         27 . The drive train according to  claim 26 , further comprising:
 a drive assembly rotating at a constant speed; and   a working machine rotating at a variable speed and connected at least indirectly to said output shaft.